The 89-year-old Thomas, dean of the
White House press corps,
leaves amid a brewing controversy over remarks she made about Israel and
Palestinians.

Thomas, known for her confrontational questioning, apologized for comments
that were captured on video and have spread widely on the Internet. On the May
27 video, Thomas says Israelis should �get the hell out of Palestine,�
suggesting they go to Germany, Poland or the U.S.

The Hearst announcement came shortly after
White House press secretary Robert
Gibbs called her remarks �offensive and reprehensible.�

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP�s
earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) � Controversial remarks about Israel by veteran
White House reporter Helen
Thomas drew sharp criticism from the Obama administration on Monday, as well as
the cancellation of a high school
graduation speech she was to deliver.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs was asked at his daily briefing with
reporters about President Barack
Obama�s reaction to Thomas� remarks. Gibbs called them �offensive and
reprehensible.�

Thomas, a columnist for Hearst Newspapers, has apologized for comments that
were captured on video by an interviewer for the website
http://www.rabbilive.com.
On the May 27 video, Thomas says Israelis should �get the hell out of
Palestine,� suggesting they go to Germany, Poland or the U.S.

�She should and has apologized,� Gibbs said. �Because obviously those remarks
do not reflect certainly the opinion of most of the people here and certainly
not of the administration.�

Thomas had been scheduled to speak at the June 14 graduation of
Walt Whitman High School in
the Washington suburb of Bethesda, Md., but Principal Alan Goodwin wrote in a
Sunday e-mail to students and parents that she was being replaced.

�Graduation celebrations are not the venue for divisiveness,� Goodwin wrote.

Thomas wrote on her website that �I deeply regret my comments I made last
week regarding the Israelis and the Palestinians.�

She added: �They do not reflect my heart-felt belief that peace will come to
the Middle East only when
all parties recognize the need for mutual respect and tolerance. May that day
come soon.�

The national director of the
Anti-Defamation League, Abraham H. Foxman, said Sunday that Thomas�
apology didn�t go far enough.

�Her suggestion that Israelis should go back to Poland and Germany is bigoted
and shows a profound ignorance of history,� Foxman said in a statement. �We
believe Thomas needs to make a more forceful and sincere apology for the pain
her remarks have caused.�

Thomas, 89, began her long career with the wire service
United Press International
in 1943, and started covering the
White House in 1960, according to a biography posted on her website. She
became a columnist for Hearst in 2000.